“Okay, well, I guess I’ll try and fill in the blanks.”
I reached for her glass of tea, and after I had taken a drink, I picked up the story from where Mia left off. I explained how Camden and I had both fallen for Mia, but I had it in my head that one day she’d be mine.
It wasn’t easy rehashing the bits about leaving for basic. It was even harder telling her about the letter I’d gotten from Mia saying that she was engaged to Camden. Rebecca’s mouth dropped as she gasped. “She was engaged to Camden? As in, your brother, Camden?”
“The one and only.” I shrugged. “I should’ve seen it coming. All the signs were there in her letters, but I refused to acknowledge them. I just kept letting myself believe that she’d end up with me… even when she showed up in my room a few days before they were supposed to get married.”
“What?”
“Yeah, I was home for a few days between tours, and Mia just showed up. It was the first and only time we slept together. Wouldn’t have happened then if she hadn’t told me that she was having second thoughts about marrying Camden.” I ran a hand over my face with a mixture of frustration and borderline embarrassment. “She said I was the one she loved and that she’d loved me all along and wanted to be with me. I was foolish enough to believe her.”
“So, what happened?”
“We spent the night hidden away in my room, talking and making love, and I thought we had it all worked out. I thought she’d break things off with Camden and marry me instead, but when I woke up the next morning, she was gone.” Rebecca looked completely stunned. “She wrote me a note saying she couldn’t go through with it, and I left it at that. I packed my bag and headed back for my second tour early.”
“Oh, Thatch. I can’t imagine how hard that must’ve been for you.”
“Being away made it easier.”
I told her about how they were married by the time I made it back home and how they had their lives and I had my own. She seemed baffled by the whole saga. “How were things when you got back?”
“They weren’t great. It was tough seeing them together, but eventually, it got easier. Camden was busy getting his career off the ground, so there were times when I’d go over and help her out with things around the house. Dumb shit, but it gave me an excuse to see her, check on her, and that was enough. At least, that’s what I told myself.”
I went on to tell her the rest of the story.
The good, the bad, and the ugly.
When I was done, Bec sat there staring at me for a moment, then let out a deep breath. “Wow, that’s like a Nicholas Sparks book gone bad.”
“A what?”
“Never mind.” She shook her head. “Is it bad that I feel sorry for Camden?”
“You can feel the way you feel, babe, but not sure why you’d feel sorry for him.”
“He loved Mia, too. He married her and wanted a life with her, but she had eyes for another. And not just any man—she had feelings for his twin brother. I can’t imagine how hard that must’ve been for him.”
“He could’ve left.”
“Yeah, but she could have, too. Seems all three of you are pretty stubborn that way.” Rebecca looked at me with a scowl. “I just don’t get it. How did you not hate Mia? How could you keep going to her place and doing things for her after everything she’d done?”
“I thought I loved her. I was trying to hold on to something that just wasn’t there.” I stood up and stepped over to her, then slipped my arms around her waist. “I didn’t know any better until I fell in love with you.”
“You’re in love with me?”
“It took me some time to figure it out, but yeah, I love you.”
“Oh, Thatch, I love you, too.”
As soon as the words slipped through her lips, I lowered my mouth to hers, claiming her in a deep, demanding kiss. A light moan vibrated through her chest when my tongue slid across her bottom lip. Her hands slowly drifted down my chest as I probed deeper into her mouth.
There was something about this woman that got to me in a way no other ever had, and I couldn’t imagine living another moment without her by my side.
I lowered my mouth to her ear as I whispered, “You’re mine, Rebecca.”
“Yes, and you’re mine.”
With that, she wound her arms around my neck and kissed me, wanting me just as much as I wanted her. I untied her robe, then slipped it over her shoulders, revealing a thin white nightgown underneath. She was so damn perfect. I trailed kisses down her neck as I whispered, “I need you now. I can’t wait a second longer.”